Wizards at Pacers
With added motivation after a humiliating loss, the Washington Wizards may never find a better time to end a long losing skid at Conseco Field House when they play the undermanned Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The Wizards have dropped 12 straight regular-season contests here since a 98-95 win April 18, 2007. The Pacers, who have had a winning record at home each season since 1989-90, are 1-2 at Conseco this year and have lost five straight overall after a 101-98 loss to Boston on Friday.
In an attempt to start 5-1 for the first time since 2005-06, Washington trailed by 24 points at the half in a 103-84 blowout at Toronto on Friday. No starter reached double figures in scoring, and star guard John Wall connected on just 3-of-13 shots after entering averaging 21 points a game. "They outplayed us," guard Garrett Temple said. "They were so much more physical than us at both ends of the court. We just have to forget this game." Both teams will be weary Saturday, playing their fourth game in five days.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Indiana, CSN (Washington)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (4-2): Washington edged visiting Indiana 96-94 in overtime Wednesday as Wall scored seven of his 31 points in overtime. With wings Bradley Beal (wrist) and Martell Webster (back) out for the foreseeable future, Temple has stepped in and is averaging 12 points while draining 14-of-32 shots from the arc. He had never averaged more than 5.1 points in his first four years.
ABOUT THE PACERS (1-5): Indiana, which beat Philadelphia on opening night for its lone win, fell 101-98 at Boston on Friday. Roy Hibbert had 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks for the Pacers, who last started 1-5 during the 1993-94 season. Only three of the 30 starters through six games have reached 20 points in a game (Hibbert twice, Donald Sloan once). Turnovers are also an issue: Indiana was plus-1.5 in turnover margin last season but minus-5.8 this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pacers F David West (ankle) was on the active list for the first time Friday but didn't play. Also out for the Pacers are Gs George Hill (knee), C.J. Watson (foot) and Rodney Stuckey (foot).
2. The Wizards have outscored their opponents by a combined 33 points in their four wins.
3. Chris Copeland started Friday in place of C.J. Miles (migraine) and scored 17 points.